WordPress powers about 34% of the total websites in the world. It has cornered over 50% of the global CMS market, beating other website builders like Squarespace. These two statistics demonstrate that the open source platform is easily the most popular website building tool. The ease and convenience associated with the platform make it the first choice of millions of users worldwide. Anyone with basic technical knowledge can easily create an interface with the CMS. However, WordPress website development needs a well-defined approach in order to build an effective product. Creating a clear action plan before initiating the process will be helpful in the successful execution of a project. It does not matter if you do not possess coding skills, you only need to follow the 9-step process to build an effective interface.
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1. Collect The Necessary Information For The Project
The first step is to collect all the necessary information for your project. Start by identifying the objective behind acquiring an interface. Do you want to use it for earning money or for promoting an existing business? Many people use websites for building community forums. Conduct a competitor analysis to know about the design strategy of the top domains of your industry. This is the stage when you recognize your target audience and understand its requirements by knowing the terms they use for search.
2. Create An Action Plan For The Project
It is now time to visualize the structure of your interface. The competitor analysis will have given you an idea of the essential pages for the new website. Some basic pages like the homepage and about us are present in every interface. The research conducted in the previous step would have helped you know the sub-topics or sections that need to be created. Outline the entire structure with appropriate page hierarchies. Map out the entire scheme in a document and use it as a guide for the project.
3. Acquire The Essential Infrastructure For Running The Website
A website needs some basic infrastructure for development and functioning. First of all, you will need to install the core files of WordPress on your system. This can be done for free by visiting the website of the platform and downloading its installation. Then you will need to subscribe to a hosting service and purchase a domain name for your interface. There are many dedicated WordPress hosting agencies that you can choose. These agencies also provide domain name services along with a facility for installing the CMS’ files in a single click.
4. Identify A Suitable Theme For Your Website
The open-source platform provides pre-built templates called themes which can be used to build an interface. These layouts are categorized according to major industries and occupations. They contain all the vital elements that a website belonging to a specific industry requires. There are numerous free and premium themes available to users. You must select one which fits your budget and fulfills your project requirements. The chosen template can be customized according to your branding and design and requirements. You can also hire professional WordPress website development services to personalize a ready made theme.
5. Select Some Essential Plugins
Plugins are pieces of software that enable a functionality or a feature on an interface. Just like themes, they are also available for free as well as at a price. You can choose these tools according to the specific requirements of your project. However, there are some tools which all website owners must install. A security and backup plugin is an essential application as it ensures the safety of an interface from unauthorized access. It also creates regular backups which can be used to restore an interface. Another tool that you will need is an SEO plugin which will help in optimizing your pages for search engines.
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6. Develop The Content For Different Pages
Most beginners are concerned about the design and appearance of their website but they hardly pay attention to the content. The text material of your interface can impress visitors and help you build a strong user base. It can also be helpful in improving your online visibility. The research conducted in the first step will have helped you know the keywords being used by your target audience. Hire a professional to create original write-ups which have been optimized with the key phrases.
7. Test And Launch The Website
Once you have personalized the theme, added the plugins and the content, it is time to test the website. Check whether all the scripts are running perfectly or not. Ensure that the website is displayed perfectly across all browsers and different types of devices. Test the interface in a local staging environment and when you are satisfied with the performance, make it go live. This is done by uploading the files of the freshly-built website on your server through FTP.
8. Prepare A Plan For Maintenance
For most people, development stops with launching the interface. However, it is not the correct approach as some issues can become visible after the deployment. Visitors can also point out some shortcomings which will need to be addressed. A plan for maintaining the interface must be in place to sort out these issues. This will ensure that all the errors are rectified quickly and the overall user experience of the website is not harmed.
Conclusion
These are the major steps that are required for the creation of an effective website. Adopting this stepwise approach will also be beneficial for professionals. Not only developers but even professionals involved in migratory services like HTML to WordPress conversion must use this kind of operation procedure to improve their productivity.